Nicole Balafas, manager of Elements Therapeutic Massage of Palatine, Ill., received the Manager of the Year award, which honors the overall growth of a studio during the past year.

Amy Tantillo, owner of Elements Therapeutic Massage of Cherry Creek in Denver, received the Owner of the Year award, which is given to a franchisee who has shown great devotion and passion for the Elements business model, champions the massage therapy industry and operates an outstanding studio.

Joel Hayek, area director for the state of Washington, received the Area Director of the Year award, which honors the area director who has most impacted their franchisees’ growth and development during the past year.

Aimee Matchette, owner of Elements Therapeutic Massage of Whitefish Bay, Wis., received the Rising Star award for making the greatest improvement during the past year. When she opened her studio she was averaging 272 massages per month, but by July of 2010 she has nearly tripled the number of monthly massages to 653.

Colleen O’Connor received the Largest Contributor of the Year award, which honors the franchisee who goes the extra mile to assist the brand. She is also the chairperson of the Elements Leadership Council.

Steve Stabile received the Revenue Cup award, a traveling award that honors the studio that posts the highest revenue in one month across the national network.

“We were pleased to recognize these outstanding franchisees for their continued contributions to the Elements network over the last year,” said Kyle Gjersee, chief operating officer and senior vice president for Elements Therapeutic Massage. “They have demonstrated passion and dedication to their businesses, and each owner has built a tremendous team of professionals. They have also become role models to their peers on how to operate a successful studio as we continue to grow the franchise network across the U.S.”

The Elements conference was a two and half day event that included an awards ceremony, breakout sessions and presentations from preferred vendors, the Elements executive team and industry experts including iMassage, Creative Link, responsible for Elements’ franchisee-only website, Mystudio.com and trade organizations American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and Associated Bodyworks & Massage Professionals (ABMP).

“In addition to honoring our top performers, the conference allowed all of our franchisees a chance to connect with each other and take advantage of valuable networking opportunities, strengthening our brand from the inside out,” said Gjersee.

The Elements Promise™ is not transferable and may not be redeemed for cash, bartered or sold. Void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law. Substitute massage session equal in value and duration to original massage session; gratuity not included. Substitute massage session cannot be combined with any other offer. Other restrictions may apply; see individual studios for details.